Golden Ages - FNAF
by dersitePrince
Summary: Though Alfred has done his best to see the good in Maggie, she continuously pushes him away. "Seeing the good in" meaning "Trying to go out with." When things don't work out so well, he ends up with his best friend after she admits his feeling to him.
1. Trauma

Maggie held her head up with her hand, elbow on the table, still reeling from the events that took place last night. To think, he could be that violent, that brash. No wonder she hadn't paid him much mind. But no less, he had been determined to impress her.

She ran her hands through her bright, white hair. Her piercing, yellow eyes scanning the cafeteria. She wished to be left to her own devices, to reflect on what had happened, but no less should someone sit by her when she wished to be alone. It was just her luck. She'd sat in a lonely corner, far away from commotion, as well. So it was clear he sought attention from her.

"Can I help you?" she asked, in an annoyed demeanour. She tried to sound throaty, gravelly. As if, to turn him off.

"Yes, actually. I would like to get to know you," he stated in a posh, condescending voice. His sailor-like accent didn't help that point, however. "You seem like an interesting character."

"Yeah, big words. Impresses blondes like me," Maggie shot back sarcastically. "How 'bout you do me a favour and fuck right off?"

"Alright, no need to be rude," the redhead stated at last. "I might be a ginger, but I at least understand kindness."

"Yeah, you seem like it," Maggie said under her breath, before taking a sip of her water bottle.

It was no easy job putting up with pricks everyday. But, she had to, for the sake of her own social life.

She shot a glance over to Alfred, a boy with strawberry-blonde, right-parted hair, and beautiful blue eyes. He was listening closely as another girl spoke in the opposing corner of the room. She thought back to yesterday, immediately, seeing his face.

* * *

She sat at the lunch table, not eating, but rather listening in on everyone else there.

"It's one thing to take a man's meal, it's another to eat it right in front of them. I just had enough of her shit," Tony said. "She was such a bitch, but no less could be expected from Tina."

"That's my sister you're dissing, there," Chica stated, spewing mouthfuls of pizza everywhere. "Nice going!"

She fist-bumped Tony, and they both smirked. But, not before Tony wiped some pizza spit from his cheek.

"Well, Tony, would you ever say that to her face?" Fredrick asked condescendingly.

"Boy, that's legitimately what I said to her when I dumped her."

"Damn," Bonnie chimed. "Th edge is too much for me."

Fredrick snorted with Bonnie's retort, which prompted an agitated Tony to shoot glares in the brunet's direction.

Maggie just sat back condescendingly, watching the drama of the situation unfold. Alfred sat in front of her, keeping quiet. He usually sat in an odd spot, seeing as he'd always sit with that other girl in the corner. The weird girl who everyone always talked about. She'd never actually met her, but she seemed a bit odd and outlandish.

She glanced at him whenever he'd look away. She had no interest in him, but rather whatever the hell was on his mind.

After a bit of time, he cleared his throat, as if to grab her attention. She paid minimal attention, his usual prestigious and pretentiously smug attitude being a major turn off for her. He looked nervous, however. He was sweating a bit, but she couldn't blame him. It was hot in the cafeteria.

"Hey," he greeted her, at last. "There's going to be a party this weekend at Foxworth's house tonight. You interested in going?"

She sighed, mentally. He was asking her on a date for the fifty thousandth time. She figured she'd stall her answer a bit. He knew the answer, but she wanted to tease him a bit. Make him think he'd interested her.

"Who the hell Foxworth?" she asked, having at least overheard the name, but being unfamiliar with the face.

"Red hair, yellow contact lenses, baby face, sailor's accent. Anything ringing a bell, here?"

She noted herself that she wasn't the only one who thought yellow was a cool eye colour. Like, yellow.

"No, not really. Either way, probably not going to go," Maggie lied.

Of course she'd go, but not with him. He'd be the last man on the fucking planet before she'd ever even consider dating him. Even then, his chances would be slim, and would honestly let the human race die out than have anything to do with him. He hung out with the oddball in the corner, and was a pretentious fuck. He had weird taste, they didn't fit.

He sighed in defeat, "Alright, then."

He moved back to where he usually sat, and Maggie went back to listening in on the conversations of her peers.

"I swear to god I'm going to murder you when we get home," Tony threatened Bonnie.

The purple-haired latino scoffed. "Fat chance."

...That's enough 'friendship' for today... Maggie thought.

* * *

Maggie lounged around her house, the empty, silent space being more than enough of an area for her to think. She had to think about how she'd work around Alfred being there, as well. Because, lord forbid, she actually go to a party without him. He couldn't learn to take motherfucking hint.

That was one of the things she hated most about him. He was arrogant, smug, and an overall detestable person. He'd push her to the brinks of insanity before he gave up trying to go out with her. He didn't understand that she didn't like him like that.

She would've gladly been friends with the guy, if he wasn't trying to constantly win her over. She was tired of his shit, yet couldn't tell him to go fuck himself. How didn't she have that kind of confidence? If she was so intent on claiming that he was an asshole, why couldn't she say it to his face?

If anything, she planned to do so the next time he asked her to a dance, or some stupid shit like that. His heart may have been in the right place, but his mouth was not.

Either way, she decided to switch to a more fitting outfit for the party, as apposed to her pink and white shirt. Instead, she switched to one with a light grey sleeves and collar, as to replace the pink, leaving the white the same. Two different shirts, exactly the same pattern, just different colours. She honestly had no reason to change. She just felt as if she should. It wouldn't really disguise her or anything, it was just a need for compliancy.

She grabbed her black jacket off the coat rack, and her phone, and keys off the end table next to the door. She opened the door, and locked it behind her, walking out to her car. She had to hand to her mother, even if they hated each other, she was still pretty cool. Hell, Maggie had her own car at sixteen, she felt like fucking royalty.

To be fair, her mom did work her ass off. But, still. It was no less, or no more, an amazing gift because of that fact. It just made Maggie so happy to have a thing she barely even used. She could only remember really filling up the tank once or twice, and it had a very small amount of mileage.

She took a wild guess at where this "Foxworth," was living, and somehow ended up being right. She just followed the cars that looked like they had people from school in them. Sure, there were a few bikes outside, but there were a small amount of cars compared to the people inside. She guessed a lot of people carpooled because not everyone had cars of their own.

She parked and headed inside, and loud EDM music was blaring out of the speakers. The place was packed with people dancing, and the socially awkward groups that stood around with their drinks. She immediately spotted the one she oh-so despised out of all of them, and made a herself a path to avoid him. She knew if she showed her face with him here, he'd get all emotional.

* * *

"Hey, I know this isn't really your thing," Alfred said to the girl next to him, Spring.

"No, no, it's fine, it's just— I'm honestly really nervous," she replied.

"Hey, no need to be, you have me here. Should anything go wrong, you can drag me down with you," Alfred told her.

"Heh, thanks," Spring said, taking a sip of her drink. "Y'know, if you wanted to just hang out, we could've just gone to your place. I'd honestly had rather been there."

"I mean, I invited Maggie originally, but, as always, she said no. It's getting really discouraging trying to ask her out sometimes. I mean, she's pushed me away so many times, I just don't feel it's worth it anymore."

"Maybe you should stop, sorry to say," Spring said. "I mean, she clearly doesn't want a relationship, maybe it's better to move on. I've never been in your position, so I don't know."

"Maybe you're right. I mean, after all, I have been kinda pushy. But, I just don't want to let go," Alfred replied. "I mean, I've tried so many times just to get her just to talk to me. But, I feel compelled to continue, and I don't know why."

"Maybe you feel like you have a chance to be her friend or something. I don't know. I just feel like you're wasting your time with her. I mean—"

"Hold that thought," Alfred interrupted. He'd realised that Maggie had come, but just not with him, which he could deal with. He just sort of went back into position, feeling a bit more defeated. "I think I may give up. I mean, she's here, she's just not here with me. It's kind of hard to think, she wouldn't have been here if I hadn't invited her originally. She didn't even know Foxworth existed, much less that he was holding this party."

"Alfred, I don't know what to tell you. But, I've had something on my mind for a while, and, I–I haven't had the courage to say it…. I'm still not sure if I do…."

"No matter what you can say, I'm sure it won't make me feel any worse than I do right now. I just feel absolutely shitty."

"Alfred, I— …I really appreciate that you're my friend. Even if you may not be the person you want to be, you're still the kind of person who holds compassion for his friends. I want you to know, going forward, I support you with what ever happens."

Spring cursed herself in her mind for not actually saying what she wanted to. Now, she imagined he'd question her, but he remained silent and stoic.

"Alfred? Are you okay?" Spring asked. "You look kind of upset. Is it something I said?"

"N-no, I just— I-I dunno. The fact that I can make such a difference in your life, and yet someone else can push me away like that, it's a bit surreal to me."

"Hey, don't think of it like that. The difference you made came after you were my friend. You had a head start on that with the fact that I had no one else caring for me. All you had to do was come into my life, and treat me like a human. Sure, there were the orphanage counsellors at the time, but they wouldn't really be able to truly understand my angle."

"I guess you're right. It's difficult to be friends with someone who has other people to look after them. But, I can sense something with her. There's more there than she's letting on, and I want to help her."

"Alfred, stop kidding yourself. You just want to be closer with her. You need to get over that, because the fact that she doesn't want to be with you won't change. I hate to be that person, but you kind of need that truth bomb."

Alfred was silent, staring blankly at the ground, and Spring stopped paying attention for about a split second, and then she realised Alfred was gone. She set her drink down and hurriedly went outside, to find that he'd just gone. She sighed, knowing he was her ride home. It was raining, and she regretted not telling him upfront that she loved him.

Blindly, he went home in a rage of tears, and forgot completely that he'd left Spring there by herself. He'd regret it later, but for now, he just felt so stupid for holding onto the hope that maybe he could've had something with Maggie. He should've known from the first rejection that she had no interest.

He sped well over the speed limit, and was surprised he didn't crash and die on his way home, and made it home safely. He fumbled with his keys, trying desperately to unlock the door and just get inside to be alone with his thoughts. He didn't want an outside force influencing him, he just wanted to think.

His mind was clouded, and he barely knew what to do with himself, pacing around his room as tears slowly dropped from his face. "What am I even doing?" he whispered to himself. "Do I even know what I'm fighting for, anymore? Am I still the same person I was before? What is anything, anymore?"

His phone began to ring, and he ignored it the first time, until it rang again. He didn't want to answer, but he imagined it was important. It was Spring. He sighed, knowing he'd have to face the music on this one.

He answered the phone call, and greeted with an elongated, "Hello, Spring."

"Where the fuck did you go?!" she demanded. "You left me at the party to walk home in the rain!"

"I'm so sorry, Spring. I just, I knew I had to get out of there. That talk we had, it's made begin to rethink major parts of my life, and I just didn't want to break down in front of everyone," Alfred explained.

Spring sighed. "I suppose I can let you pass on that. I know where you've been on that front…. I've had many mental breakdowns in the past, and I didn't want to be in public for them."

"I'm glad you understand. I've honestly been becoming slowly unsure of myself, and our talk just sort of solidified that."

"I'm sorry for what I said. I guess I shouldn't have questioned your idea to keep chasing after Maggie. She's who you want, and I shouldn't be one to intrude on that with my own thoughts. But, you could have at least told me we were leaving."

"I s-suppose you're right. It's just— I don't— I don't know what to think, anymore," Alfred said.

"I'd love to help you, but I can't right now. It's late, I need to get a shower and go to sleep," Spring told him. "I think maybe you should, too."

"Maybe you're right. Thanks for talking for a bit, anyways."

"Anytime."

She hung up, and he put his phone down. He laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind still racing with many thoughts he didn't know how to control. He didn't know what to do with himself. Tears continued to roll down his face. He contemplated just how much people actually wanted him around. He could count Spring and his brother as a possible two, yet he was so unsure of everyone else.

He heard a knock at the door. It slowly creaked open, and Fredrick poked his head in.

"Hey buddy," he said softly, "you okay?"

"I— I don't know for sure, Fredrick," Alfred replied. "I'm just contemplating if all of this is even worth it, anymore."

"I don't like hearing that out of my brother," Fredrick sighed. "Do you want to talk?"

"It's just— I dunno. Why is it that I'm not able to give up? I've asked Maggie out so many times, yet, I still don't know when to quit. When to just give up. I feel like I'm abandoning other people just for a futile cause."

"It's something you've wanted for a long time, and you don't want to give up on it, because you think you can succeed."

"That's a bit cryptic, but I'll keep it in mind. Thanks, I guess…."

Fredrick closed the door slowly, before walking downstairs. He sighed, knowing he'd have to make the call he was about to make, eventually. He never wanted it to come to this, but Maggie had fully broken his brother. He didn't want to get in the middle of everything, but yet he'd have to stand and side with his brother.

He picked up his phone and hesitantly made the call. He waited patiently for the call to go through. When it did, he was greeted with an annoyed Maggie.

"The fuck do you want?" Maggie asked aggressively.

"I want you to take a second to calm down before we get this conversation started," Fredrick retaliated calmly.

Maggie sighed on the other end of the line. "I know what this call's about, and I don't want to have to deal with this situation. Your brother's a prick, whether you see it or not."

"It doesn't matter who my brother is to you," Fredrick said, "I'm the one who has to live with him. If he's in there contemplating life and death, then I have to take action. I cannot come home to a dead brother. So no matter who you think he is, you're going to come over here and fix this, or I will personally drag you here and lock you in the same room until you apologise, and at least agree to get to know him."

"Your brother's a jackass. You are not going to get me to apologise to him, even if you starved me to death. I would rather starve to death, instead of apologising, that's the point we're at. He's being a little bitch if he thinks that what I have done is malicious."

"I swear to god, Maggie. You're claiming him as a bad person, but you've broken his heart on many occasions, and he's feeling guilty, now, because of what he's been doing. If he's guilty, you have no choice but to apologise and forgive."

Maggie sighed again. "If I do, will it shut you up about the subject?"

"For now."

"Fine. I'll be over soon."

The conversation ended there. Fredrick sighed himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. He couldn't help but wonder to himself why Alfred had been interested in the first place. There wasn't generally a mutual hatred between himself and Maggie, but she was being difficult, and he had to wonder some things.

Hopefully it wouldn't be long before Maggie would show up. The sooner the two could work things out, the sooner Alfred would hopefully be feeling a little better about himself. Fredrick secretly hoped, that after all of this hell, maybe the two could be good friends. He doubted it highly, but he believed it could happen. It wasn't impossible.

It took her about half an hour, but she finally arrived.

She opened the door, stepping in, without having the courtesy to knock.

"I hope you're happy with this," Maggie said begrudgingly. "I'm forgiving the person I hate most for exactly the reason I hate him for it. Did you ever have the idea that this would be a bit disingenuous?"

"I think he just needs to see your face, and hear those words, and he'll be better," Fredrick said. "I think, so long as he thinks it's real enough, then you'll get by. He's not a very violent or grudging person. Unlike someone."

"You can fuck right off with that. And just know I'm only here so I don't have to hear the subject ever again."

She quickly went upstairs, mentally rolling her eyes from the fact that she had to be here to do this. She couldn't believe she agreed to this in the first place. She stood in front of the door that she'd soon have to open. She took a couple moments to mentally prepare herself, she didn't want to forgive him.

The door creaked as she slowly pushed it open. She thought about what she was going to say for a moment.

"Hey, Alfred," she said in the calmest, nicest voice she could fake. "You okay?"

"I dunno. But, I'm sorry for being the way I have been towards you," he replied.

"It's okay. I guess I was a bit quick to judge you, anyways…."

"A bit? A bit?!" Alfred echoed. "We wouldn't be here if you hadn't been so damn quick to judge."

"I don't like the hostility in your voice," Maggie replied. "I came here to apologise to you, and now you're starting to turn on me."

"Because, why should I forgive you? You put me through mental hell, and I'm supposed to stand here and forgive you?!"

"Look, you don't have to forgive me, I figured you might have wanted an apology, either way. Maybe I was wrong."

She pivoted on her heel, and began to walk out.

"Don't you dare move," Alfred said sternly, and Maggie stopped dead in her tracks. The threatening manor of his voice was something she'd never heard a human be capable of, before. It was cold, and he sounded ready to kill.

She felt as if she knew what was coming, but she soon felt a foot in her back, and was forcibly pushed against the wall. With the force that was put to her, she was surprise the wall didn't crumble. There was nothing but a massive crash.

She could hear footsteps running up the steps, and she knew Fredrick was coming to be her backup. The door swung open to her left, and the darkness of the room was suddenly lifted, as she stayed put, and heard a crash behind her. She soon finally built up the ability to peel herself from the wall, and turn around, and found that Alfred had been thrown into the opposite wall.

"She came here to apologise, and forgive you, and yet you have the nerve to suddenly get violent," Fredrick said angrily. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

The air was tense after that moment. Maggie had no clue what to say, Fredrick was fuming, and Alfred was probably feeling a bit terrible about himself.

Fredrick left the room with steaming anger, presumably to walk off said anger. While Alfred laid against the wall, a darkened expression on his face, and uneven breathing.

"I-I'm sorry," he sputtered, "I'm so, so sorry."

"It's okay," Maggie replied, "it's okay to feel enraged. I just hope we can come to an understanding."

"I guess," Alfred whispered, pushing his knees to his chin. "I just hope that you don't absolutely hate me, now."

"No, no…. I think I understand who you are a bit better, but I just don't think I'm necessarily ready to be your friend, just yet. But, I think we can slowly, actually start understanding if we want a relationship or not."

"I suppose."

The two went silent for a few moments, each not knowing what to say, and not moving. Maggie contemplated leaving at this point. There were no more words to be said between the two, and it felt awkward at this point.

"I'm just gonna... I'm just gonna go go," she said at last.

"O-Okay, then," Alfred replied emotionlessly.

She slowly stepped out of the door, and stepped down the creaky stairs.

"We worked things out, I suppose," she told Fredrick. "I have a new view on him. Not good, not bad, just new."

"I suppose that's how most people view him," he said with a sigh. "Can't exactly help it. But, once you get to know him a bit better, you'll start understanding more things. He isn't usually this way, I don't know what happened, so I apologise on his behalf."

"He apologised, already. I can't even sort of see the justification, but even still, it all happened so fast…."

"Well, hopefully, this kind of shit doesn't happen again. I don't get why you're not pissed, though, heh. Seems out-of-character to me."

"It's just so confusing to me, that's all."

And with that, Maggie left.

* * *

She was still so stressed about last nights events, she just wanted to blow off anyone who would get in the way of a reflection on it. She began to regret pushing away Foxworth.

But, she sighed, assuming that it was too late to make things up. She stood, threw away her tray, and just in time, as the bell then rang. She sighed, knowing that today was going to be a long, boring day. But she didn't know what was going on afterwards.

* * *

 **4,165 words.  
**

 **I SCREWED UP! I uploaded the wrong document for this story originally. That's why this one was updated. I'm working on chapter two, but I uploaded Unparalleled Part 4 instead of Golden Ages Part 1 for this. I am an idiot. So, here it is again, the proper version this time. I had no clue that this was the wrong document.**


	2. Onstage

Maggie wasn't sure how to go about the rest of the day. It was quiet, and relatively stress-free, at least compared to the previous night. However, she was kind of afraid of Alfred's recklessness even still. He'd have to get that part of himself in order soon.

She remembered Alfred's brother Fredrick had chess club today. She wasn't sure if Alfred would be there watching and waiting or already be at home. She wanted to say she remembered that they only had one car, but didn't Fredrick have work near the same time as the party the last night? She brushed off the thought, thinking she may have just remembered wrong.

He left so quickly, he imagined he drove himself to the party, even if he had come with a friend. Fredrick probably just got a ride to work. Maybe she was just overthinking things.

Through a string of asking around, she finally found out where she needed to go. She opened the door silently and slipped in. There was practice going on, and Alfred looked bored, obviously being forced to sit there and watch. He was hunched over, elbow to his knee and his chin his hand.

She pulled up a chair in silence, sitting next to him, and poking his shoulder. He jolted up and gave her a look. She smirked at him, taking slight amusement in his confused expression.

She took his hand, standing him up, and leading him outside of the room.

"Why'd you come up here?" he asked her. "There's a life out there in this world."

"I figured I'd just come hang out. Not totally interested in heading home to hear nothing but silence at the moment," she said delicately, a smile playing at her lips.

"It's the weekend, you have hours to waste on literally anything else."

"I know, but I just figured that maybe you'd want a little company, someone to talk to when you're bored."

"Stop being so nice to me. Especially after last night. It feels weird."

"Can't," Maggie said smiling ear to ear at him, taking his hands, "I just felt some extra kindness in me today, had to get it out."

"I-it feels weird for you to be so forward with how shitty I was last night…."

"I know it does. I want you to feel weird. I think it's cute when you're flustered."

"I- I…."

Maggie pulled her arms around him and pressed her head to his chest. "Sorry for being a bitch to you for so long. I can't imagine what it was like, I never really realised what I was like, but the fact that you lashed out kinda told me."

"I feel awful for not controlling my anger. You had fair reasoning, and I just felt way too… entitled? I guess that's the word."

"To be fair, I _was_ being a bitch. That night I remembered all the hateful things I'd ever said to you, and I just want to apologise. Can we be friends now?"

"S-sure…."

Silence passed over them, as Alfred placed his right hand on her back, and his left around her waist. He was still really confused as to why she was forgiving him. He'd been a total dick, he deserved every word she said to him. He fucking kicked her into a wall, he felt like an awful human being. But yet, here she was. Not only forgiving him for all he'd done but apologising for herself. He didn't know what to do.

It took a while before they spoke again, but the silence gave Alfred time to mull it over. He was very unsure about a lot of things, and this was one of them.

It gave Maggie time to realise that she enjoyed his embrace. He was warm, gentle, and soft. He put his arms in just the right place, and it was as satisfying as when you found a puzzle piece that clicked in just the right spot. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, but she was afraid of getting attached.

She pulled away as she felt herself trying to get any closer. She didn't want to risk getting attached to him.

"I- Sorry. That was… really forward," she stammered.

"It's okay," he assured her. "I was just really confused, that was all. I was wondering how you could stand a sociopath like me."

"You just… I dunno. But anyway, um… heh, now things are really awkward I guess?"

"Only if you want them to be."

They both had a chuckle at that, but as Maggie stopped laughing, she couldn't think of what to say next. She didn't know what to do.

"So, uh… I guess I can go now? I imagine they'll be done soon?"

"We can only hope."

"Heh. Well, I'll see you, Alfred."

"See ya."

Alfred watched as Maggie left, and his thoughts turned to something that had happened earlier today. Spring had said something to him, and he thought it was a joke in the moment, simply because of the way she started it off. But, could it have really been a joke? Did he just laugh off her admitting to love him? As that idea filled his head, he felt this sense of dread wash over him, and he shivered a bit.

He leaned on the door, waiting for the club to disband their meeting so he could leave. He wanted to bring out his phone and text Spring, but he wasn't sure if she'd tell him the truth. It haunted him as he continued to think about it.

After a couple seconds, he brought out his phone, and texted her, "Hey, Spring… about what you said earlier… did you really mean it? And don't lie to me."

He didn't know if she'd even answer, or if she'd just ignore him out of pure fear. Her exact words still stuck in his mind, and he couldn't help but think of them. "I know we make fun of those types of movies, but would you ever… want to go out?"

He heard it on repeat, and couldn't get it out of his head that maybe she meant it, maybe she just poured her heart out and he laughed at her for it. But she'd never tell him the truth. Maybe he was just looking for a way to not think about Maggie, but he added something to his test.

"And the reason I ask is because… I think I would like to go out with you."

His heart was racing, and he was filled with stress. Not only did he have the idea that maybe Maggie was trying to give him pity and try to make a move on him, but he was stressed wondering if he'd broken Spring's heart, and changed her views on him. The more he thought about it, he did love her, he was just always afraid he'd break her.

Like fine china, he didn't want the chance of destroying her and her beauty simply because he was clumsy. His words never came out right, his actions were sometimes erratic and unpredictable. He didn't really want to wish that upon her, and she knew these things about him. If she hadn't been joking, he felt like a real dick.

On top of that, he admitted that he too felt the same way about her. Maybe he ended up confusing her into what to think. His reaction earlier maybe made her think that he didn't love her when really he did. The more he thought about it, he loved her over Maggie at any point. He'd known her longer, they were friends, they did so much together.

And on top of that, he'd run out and abandoned her last night.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he hesitated on taking it out. He feared that she would completely be dejected by his jab, and just lash out at him in anger.

But nonetheless, he took it out, and carefully read every word of her reply.

"I did mean it. I think it'd be fun. But don't think you're obligated to do it."

"I don't feel obligated, I just want to go out with you. Is there something so wrong with that?"

"Of course not, heh. So where do you wanna go? When? What're we gonna do?"

"Not sure yet. Didn't plan that far ahead."

"I don't know why I expected anything more out of you, Alfred. You're still Alfred."

"You're right. _I_ don't know why you expected more from me."

"You're such a dork."

"You're one to talk."

"Shush, you."

Alfred couldn't help but chuckle a bit. He was glad that the conversation worked out because he didn't want to think about Maggie. He didn't want to think about the fact that maybe she was into the whole sociopath thing. Because that wasn't him at heart, that wasn't the person that he wanted to be. Especially not just for the reason that it was sociopath Alfred that was wanted.

He just wanted someone he could be himself around, and he supposed that Spring would fit that puzzle piece. He'd thought about going out with her before. They knew the most about each other already, they were comfortable being themselves around each other. There were no secrets to be kept at this point, so they knew they could trust each other. He'd just been so hesitant because he didn't know how her mind would handle it.

If she got really clingy, he wouldn't know what to do. He'd know why she grew that way, but he didn't want to point it out to her or break it off because of her. But now he was willing to take that risk if he could just make it so he didn't have to be someone he wasn't.

Of course, he'd always have the choice to reject Maggie if he particularly felt like it, but he didn't want to be questioned about it or have to think about it later. He just wanted this whole situation to be over and forgotten. He didn't care about her forgiveness, it didn't particularly matter to him. He just wanted to make it known that he was aware he made an awful mistake and wanted to apologise for being terrible.

He knew he wasn't the nicest guy in town, but he definitely didn't want to be known as the worst. He didn't feel that reflected himself well.

But when his mind was off of the whole situation, it was on Spring. How was this relationship going to go? There was no way for either of them to know, all that was present was that they both wanted it. Spring would kill just to have someone around as often as possible to help break the silence that haunted each night. The nightmares and insomnia that plagued her every night to be cured. Alfred just didn't want to feel like a freak. He wanted to be assured that he wasn't some psychopathic murderer, that he wasn't bat-shit insane. He hoped the relationship would bring him that solace.

He did have his brother, who still deeply cared for him. But he didn't think that Fredrick would be totally honest with him if he asked the brunet, "Do you think I'm insane?"

He knew that Spring would be honest with him, at least for the most part. If he did something wrong, he'd always know. If he did something right, he'd always be able to tell. She wasn't too afraid to speak her mind around him, and that was what he was happy for. He didn't regret asking her out but seriously doubted that they would last very long.

He shrugged it off as he heard the door behind him slowly open, and chess club let out. He followed his brother silently out to the parking lot, where they both got in the shared family car.

"You haven't made on quip about how long that took since we got out, what's on your mind?" Fredrick asked.

"Nothing particularly," Alfred lied, "just still regretting last night."

"Well, at least you feel remorse for it. You aren't a completely heartless bastard."

"Yeah, I guess that's a good thing."

"But for real, what's on your mind? You weren't this quiet at lunch, or during science. You and Spring blabbed on for the entire period."

"Okay well, I guess I have no choice but to 'fess up. I asked Spring out."

"You serious? Bonnie will be fucking thrilled! He's been going on and on about how he just wants you two to get together already. Guess I'll need to tell him at the first chance I get and record what his reaction is."

"I think that'd be funny, but I don't know for sure if this relationship will work out. I'm a little bit worried about how she'll handle things going into the future because you know her."

"Yeah, I get what you mean."

"That's why it took me so long to do it. I've been thinking about it for a while at this point, but I just didn't act on it until now. I never really know how things are gonna turn over because her emotions are so unpredictable."

"But I'm so glad to see you at least giving it a try. Both Bonnie and I have seen that she really likes you, and Bonnie was ready to try and set you two up."

"Bonnie doesn't even know Spring, how would he be able to tell?"

"That's what I always wondered, but I wouldn't question him. I wouldn't doubt that he is friends with Spring, it just hasn't been made known yet. He works under my nose a lot, so it wouldn't be surprising."

"I guess you could be right."

Alfred couldn't help but notice the person walking up the street as they pulled out of the school parking lot and started up the road. He could tell it was Maggie, but he didn't want to say anything. Even him without saying anything out loud, Fredrick noticed as well.

The blonde boy was very uneasy about the fact that his brother was slowing down. He didn't want to think about what had transpired in the hallways that day, he just wanted to go home. He didn't need to be reminded of that, because it reminded him of last night. And whenever he thought about it, he couldn't help but cringe at himself.

Nonetheless, the car came to a stop by Maggie, and Fredrick rolled the window down slowly, asking "Whatchya doin' out here walkin' all by yourself, stranger," in the dumbest southern accent he could muster.

"Nothing much," Maggie replied in a normal tone, "just walking home."

"You don't normally walk home, do you?"

"No, I normally bike home, but someone stole my bike today. How they did it is still a mystery to me, and I'll sock them in the jaw if I find out who it was, but I'm hanging in there."

"You could jump in the back and we could give you a ride home. That is if you're all good with that."

"It'd be much nicer than walking home," Maggie said walking backward to the door and opening it. She got in and scooted to the far side of the seats, where she had a clear view of Fredrick but not Alfred.

"Alright, you'll just have to guide me where to go, because I always forget."

"Just go back to your house. It'll be fine. I don't have to go home immediately."

Alfred remained silent in this exchange. He knew that if he spoke his mind, it would be rude. He knew that if he protested to tell that he wasn't comfortable with her being there, he'd be ignored because he wasn't being thoughtful.

"I dunno," Fredrick replied to her, "I have a lot of things to do, and Alfred has someone to go see. I don't think that we have the time to really just hang around and that I should just take you home."

Maggie sighed. "Alright, go up and turn here."

Alfred was silently praising his brother for coming up with an excuse for him. He wasn't interested in hanging out with her, at least not until he was over the situation. It'd be a while before he was ready to face her again. He hated himself so much for what he did, but he supposed that was what happened when you were a sociopath who also somehow had empathy.

He didn't quite know who he loved more. He had a bit of an affinity for both Spring and Maggie, but his heart was evenly separated in both directions. But Maggie scared him, and he knew that Spring felt similarly about him without having the reason for being that he's literally insane. It was simply a matter of who he was willing to deal with, and right now that was Spring.

He pulled out his phone, looking like a stereotypical teenager with his nose buried in the screen before him as he tapped out a message. He was asking Spring if she wanted to come over, or if she wanted him to come over to her place. She simply replied with hanging out at his.

He was tempted to correct what Fredrick had said, but Maggie was already getting out of the car, and enough time had passed.

"Alright, thanks for the ride," Maggie called as she stepped out. She poked her head back into the back, saying just before she left, "And Alfred, one of these days we're gonna go out. I promise you."

She smiled and walked up to her front door without another word, and Alfred swallowed hard. He didn't know what to do, because he wasn't sure if he even wanted that.

"Already planning to cheat on Spring?" Fredrick asked him.

"No. She was being weird while we waited for you to get out of chess club, so when she walked off, I asked Spring out over text. I didn't want to end up with her in a relationship because she's been starting to creep me out."

"So you _don't_ love Spring?"

"I do, it just happened to come up at the perfect time."

"Seems a bit too convenient for my liking. But I imagine you'll keep the circumstances hidden from her for as long as possible?"

"Well it was also the fact that she had asked me out earlier on in the day, and uh… I did something rather regrettable. Her delivery of it seemed very joke-y, so I kinda laughed at it like it _was_ meant to be a joke. And I felt really bad about it, because the more I put thought into it, I felt the same way. I couldn't just leave her thinking I thought it was something worth laughing at."

"At least you sorta realised what you'd done and corrected it. I think that your relationship will work out. But, now I have something to confess to you now that you've told me what you did today…."

"And what is that?"

"I've sort of been feeling a certain way about someone lately as well, and I hope you're cool with him coming over."

"Him? Is this your coming-out to me?"

"Yeah. I'm sure you know exactly who I-"

"Are you gonna ask Bonnie out?"

"Yes. Indeed that is what I'm going to do. I invited him over today to study, but that's not what we're gonna be doing the whole time. I just wanted to let you know in case you feel uncomfortable with him being around you guys, given his whole thing was that he was gonna get you two together somehow."

"I think everything should be fine. Don't feel like you have to change your plans because of us, we're probably gonna sit downstairs and watch a movie the whole time or something."

"Alright, we'll probably hang out in my room."

"Good to know to just keep doing the normal stuff: avoid the beast's cave."

As they pulled up into the driveway, Fredrick punched Alfred in the arm. "Now I'm purposely going to get Bonnie in the main room."

"Fine with me. Can't wait to see him ride your di- Ow!"

Fredrick interrupted him by punching him even harder in the arm. "Alright you little baby, I didn't hit you that hard."

The two got out of the car, as Alfred buried his nose in his phone again, letting Spring know it was okay to start heading over. They got in, and Alfred just tossed his bag in his room before going downstairs again to check the garage for what movie they might like to watch together.

It wasn't long before he heard the faint knocking on the door, with it opening shortly after. The garage door opened and Bonnie stepped through with Fredrick right behind him.

"Alfred! Good job on finally asking Spring out. Took ya long enough!" he said, greeting the blonde boy.

"Of course that's what you focus on, Bonnie," Alfred ragged back.

"Why wouldn't I? That's the big news of today! I've been trying to figure out different ways to get you two together, but with how you were so dead-set on trying to go out with Maggie, I wasn't sure if I should or not. But I'm glad to know that I didn't have to! You finally took it upon yourself."

"Yeah. I knew all that after the fact, and I don't know how I wasn't prepared for that to be the only thing that you talk about."

"All I can do is congratulate you. I don't think that Spring would take to kindly to a stranger knowing who she is and her relationship details."

"How do you know anything about her?"

"We'll talk about that another day, but you better not fuck this up. Just know that if things go awry, I'm blaming you for it. Don't break her heart, so that way I don't have to come in and make friends with her so I can make her feel better. Because I won't be happy."

"Noted. Well, I have to get back to picking out some movies."

"And Fredrick and I need to go study, how convenient. Let's go."

The garage's indoor entrance shut behind him with a light slam. Alfred grabbed a tape from the rack and headed back into the main room, just as he heard another knock on the front door. He opened it to find Spring waiting on the other side, and he brought her into an embrace.

"Sorry for my reaction earlier today," Alfred whispered to her.

"It's okay. You made up for it pretty quickly," she assured him.

He broke the embrace and wandered into the kitchen as she sat down on the couch. There were a number of tape cases for those old cheesy horror movies that you could tell just how they were faked. She picked up one that looked particularly interesting and looked at it closely.

Alfred walked back into the main room with a bucket of popcorn in hand.

"Killer Klowns from Outer Space? Seriously?" she asked him.

"I picked out some of the stupidest ones I could find from the massive back catalog my dad has. I mean, he's not watching them, so who's to say we can't?"

"Yeah but… Killer Klowns from Outer Space."

"Yep. But you also have The Gate and Birdemic to choose from."

"I've seen Birdemic, and I'd rather not see it again. The jokes are lost after the first time."

"Then it's The Gate or Killer Klowns. Your choice."

Spring sighed. "Killer Klowns then."

She pulled a blanket that had been draped over the couch arm on her left and pulled it over herself. Alfred put the movie in and shut the lights off. He sat back down on the couch on Spring's right as the movie started up. She smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder, and they just let the movie play, as they watched the screen flicker silently, barely paying attention.

* * *

 **4,017 words.  
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 **Apologies for being a day late on when I promised to release this. Now the next thing I release (probably won't be next week, maybe the week after) is The Heart chapter two. It's been too long since I released the first chapter, so I've got it going for you guys. See ya soon.**


	3. Closer

It was a long night ahead of them. Fredrick knew that well and was more than prepared for what he was going to have to do. He promised himself, at last, he'd come out and reveal his feelings to his best friend, one that he'd known for years at this point. He felt anxious as he sat at his desk, waiting for the boy to arrive. It was very obvious that Bonnie wasn't totally straight, anyone who knew him knew that was obvious. He was in denial for certain. But his reasoning behind it made sense.

Anyone who knew that Bonnie was closeted also knew that his mother was very homophobic, and that was heartbreaking to the brunet. He had to watch as his best friend didn't really get to love who all he wanted.

He heard the light knocking on the door, knowing it was either Bonnie or Spring, each one he was excited to greet. His brother had finally asked out Spring, something that Fredrick's whole friend group hounded him about.

"You should get your brother to ask Spring out," Bonnie would always say.

"Yeah, they'd be really cute going out together," Chica would chime.

"Wait, they weren't already together?" Foxworth would ask.

Maggie would roll her eyes dismissively and ignored the conversation outright.

"If he wants to ask her out, he will," he would always have to assure them. "He's not going to do it if he doesn't want to, especially if I get on his ass the way you guys seem to get on mine over it."

But no matter how many times he said that it still managed to come up in conversation. Bonnie never pressed Alfred directly, though Fredrick imagined it wouldn't have been long until then had Alfred not asked on his own.

He dashed up the stairs in anticipation, swinging the door open and meeting eyes with the pale, purple-haired boy. He smiled, embracing his friend.

"Good to see you, Bon. We chose the perfect day to study because guess what?" Fredrick greeted.

"Geez, I just got here and you're already trying to rope me into something, aren't you?" Bonnie replied coyly.

"Look, I think you'll like what's coming."

"Oh really? What is it?"

"Alfred finally asked Spring out, meaning you can stop sniffing up my ass about it."

"Weird analogy, but okay. Either way, now you've got me super excited. Let's go bother him about it."

"He's out in the garage."

Bonnie led the way as they headed off to the indoor garage entrance, knocking lightly before swinging it open with a bit of force, startling Alfred just slightly. Bonnie greeted him casually as he stepped down onto the concrete floor.

"Alfred! Good job on finally asking Spring out. Took ya long enough!" he said.

"Of course that's what you focus on, Bonnie," Alfred fired back.

They talked back and forth for a few moments before the doorbell rang at the front door, and Fredrick took his leave with Bonnie behind him. They descended the stairs into Fredrick's bottom-floor bedroom, and Bonnie's eyes were greeted with that familiar sight. He'd been in this room so many times before even in the past few months since they'd moved back. The catching up they did gave him a good chance to get familiar with it.

The performance posters hung lazily on the neutral grey walls was the perfect type of feeling for Fredrick's room. The brunet crashed on the bed, grabbing his textbook from his bag and laying back. Bonnie sat comfortably on the couch opposing the foot end of the bed, bringing out his own textbook and notes. He knew that he would have to admit his own feelings to Fredrick at some point, but felt ready to throw up every time he did.

He got that same bad taste in his mouth, the same queasy feeling in his stomach, and unease ran rampant in his mind. So he ignored his idea to get it off his chest and always moved on. He'd known the boy since kindergarten, and though they were approaching eighteen now, it still felt like they were in the third grade again. He had looked ever-familiar but still so different when they met up again at the airport. He knew that Foxworth had been excited to see him again, and he was happy for the ginger. Though, Bonnie had the odd anxiety that Foxworth and Fredrick had developed mutual feelings for one another without his knowledge.

He was so afraid of letting his brown-haired best friend know how he felt because he was afraid of losing him again. They'd just properly gotten back, and Bonnie was happy as it was to just have him. The family had moved away when the trio had been in the third grade because of the death of their mother. Bonnie wished not for them to go away again before he said what he needed. He didn't want to have to tell Fredrick what was on his mind from the other side of a video screen and deal with the consequences of a long-distance relationship.

"Bon? You good there, bud?" Fredrick called, bringing Bonnie out of his trance.

"Yea-Yeah. I'm alright. It's all good," Bonnie lied.

"You sure you don't want to come sit by me? It would help us both out if we were here to help each other to understand things."

"I guess I can," Bonnie replied, feeling his face grow hot.

He sat next to his best friend on the bed, and put his textbook in his knees, his notebook over top of it. He looked over at Fredrick's book, noticing he wasn't even on the right page. He felt like Fredrick knew what Bonnie was feeling and was pressuring him to say it, but he remained silent.

"Uh, you're on the wrong page, we're a few chapters ahead," Bonnie stated.

"Oh yeah, you're right," Fredrick said, flipping ahead. "About what page?"

"I think it's 233. We're pretty far into this book because the teacher skipped a lot."

"Thanks for agreeing to study with me, it'll help me catch up a bit, heh. Wouldn't want to fail the last year of high school now, right?"

"Right."

It felt like small talk, as though their words were meant to be turning into longer conversations, but they didn't. Fredrick was only half paying attention to the actual work, and Bonnie felt uncertain about it. He didn't quite know why Fredrick needed the help, last time he checked up he was still passing as an honour-roll student.

Bonnie stood for a moment to grab his glasses from his bag, and Fredrick smirked as he bent over, his eyes still on the book.

"When you get back over, can you explain how to do this to me?" he asked. It seemed a bit ominous to Bonnie, and he could feel his heart sinking as he stood straight.

"Uh, sure thing…." he agreed reluctantly.

He laid back down next to Fredrick as the brunet pointed to a problem. Of course, it was the basic version of it, but he began to explain.

"So, first you-"

"Wait, you've got something on your face," Fredrick interrupted, sitting up and placing his thumb on Bonnie's cheek. The shorter boy turned red in the face, as he moved closer.

"Well, wha-what is it?" Bonnie asked as he felt more and more uncomfortable as his best friend's face seemed to move closer. He was sweating and shaking with anticipation and fear.

"This," Fredrick whispered.

Their lips met, and Bonnie's eyes widened, trying to get a good look to understand what was happening. As his best friend pulled away, Bonnie gasped and breathed quickly, uncertain of what had just happened. Had Fredrick read his mind, was this some sort of sick prank? Or was it some twisted nightmare-dream hybrid? He wasn't totally sure if the loving smile he was looking at from his best friend was real.

"Wait what the- what the fuck just happened? Did you actually just-?"

Fredrick nodded his head as the brunet went in for another kiss, holding both of Bonnie's cheeks firmly with his hands, sending the boy into shock once again. Bonnie was totally uncertain if what he was experiencing was real even still, but he let his eyes fall shut as he enjoyed himself.

He placed his hand against Fredrick's shoulder, leaning into the kiss more himself. He pulled away for a moment to catch his breath but dominated the next kiss. He had no experience to know if he was good at it or not, but he felt as though it was going well. When he pulled away from his newfound love, he couldn't help but smile.

"Glad I didn't have to be the one to admit it," Bonnie said lovingly. "I was piss-scared of doing it myself."

"I know. Even if you didn't say it, you made it really obvious there, bud," Fredrick explained. "Even still, I wouldn't have had it any other way."

"But what will they think? Y'know, your brothers, my brother, my mother, Chica, on and on?"

"I know your mother will goddamn hate me. I know that Chica will be thrilled, Alfred is alright with it, and Theo isn't around enough to really be a problem. I don't know what I can say for Tony, that's your beast to deal with. I just wanted to get it off my chest. I wanted to let you know that your feelings are very much returned with full force."

Bonnie giggled at himself a bit, before continuing. "I don't know why I thought you and Foxworth were gonna get together before I would've been able to tell you my feelings. Maybe it's because you knew him longer, I don't know. But, I always had the weird feeling that like- you and him would get together, and then I would just be off to the side, having to hide my feelings inside of me still. I'm glad to know that's not the case. I love you, Fred."

"I love you too, Bon. Don't you ever forget it. And to be honest with you, these feelings cropped up while we were apart from each other, around the transition from middle school to high school. I, of course, had my friends over there, but you stuck out to me. You, of course, didn't have the crazy hobby of dying your hair whatever silly colours you wanted back in the third grade, but I still thought about both you and Foxworth every day. I wish we could've talked a little bit more before I had to go, or even over video call."

"We were in the third grade when you left, I think it's forgiving. I'm just surprised you didn't turn out to be a shitty person, knowing my luck. I always thought about you until you returned as well. I read a bunch of psychology books, and maybe it was the time you came into my life that made me remember you, but even still. I think I developed feelings for you just before you came back? I can't remember, it's been a while. I always thought about trying to text the number you'd given me for your dad back before you left, but I doubted that it would go through properly."

"My dad has long since changed numbers, so good thing you didn't try, heh. But, I'm glad you never forgot. I didn't expect Foxworth to forget, given we've known each other essentially since we were born. Even still, that doesn't give me any bias towards him, because I love you goddammit. You're too cute not to love."

Bonnie smiled and embraced Fredrick. The two boys finally felt whole, after each had their period of questioning. Fredrick had known what he'd wanted for longer than Bonnie had, but that didn't change the fact that they each loved each other. Bonnie feared of what his family would think, given the thoughts that had unwittingly come out at past family get-togethers and such. But he tried to push that to the back of his mind as he sat there in the brunet's embrace.

Fredrick, on the other hand, wasn't certain what his dad would think when he came back for visits. In his old age, Fredrick imagined his father would be visiting more, if not staying at home completely. That terrified the brunet, as it was unbeknownst to him whether his father was as jaded as Bonnie's mother. He didn't know if he'd have to take the other boy's hand and run just so they could be at peace.

This was their last year of high school, so they only had so much time to screw around with a relationship before they would have to get full-time jobs to be in the world around them. Bonnie knew with no uncertainty that his newfound boyfriend would be attending college without him, though. Fredrick, at heart, was someone who fit more in a journalism section. He loved doing research and his head was always filled with little tidbits and facts. Bonnie, on the other hand, was going to do his best to pursue a music career. It may not work out the best, but it was what he'd strived for ever since his parents split.

But that was beside the point, they still had so many things to worry about even now, if they were still in high school. They didn't know who they could trust with knowing what was going on, and they didn't want to be blunt in asking. There were only a few they were certain on and even then that wasn't enough.

"I don't know why, but I feel like this could turn out awfully somehow," Bonnie said.

"I mean, it'll only turn out awfully if you think it will," Fredrick assured him. "I think if we come at this at an angle that it makes us happy, it'll be fine. Your mom can't be so jaded that she wouldn't want you to be happy, right?"

"I don't know about that much. I think no matter what she wouldn't be fine with it."

"Only one way to find out."

"I would rather not, especially not right now. Let's just not talk about it."

"Alright then, that's fine. I understand why that would be uncomfortable. I'm not sure my dad's gonna be okay with it, but maybe he will be. I don't know, and I won't be able to find out for a while. But at least I have you until then. I'm not sure what to tell you other than that I love you."

"I love you too, Fred. So, what now?"

"I guess we gotta find the time to go out. Go on a date and all that junk. The typical stuff, y'know?"

"I'm afraid of doing that because I feel like someone's gonna see me, and it's either gonna be my mom or someone who's gonna tell my mom. I don't want to risk that, I don't want to be in such a situation, because I want to be able to go home and feel safe."

"I know, I know, but I don't know how to remedy that. We could just hang out here if you're okay with that. Even though I wouldn't think you'd just want to stay here most of the time."

"I'd feel more comfortable that way, so I'd personally be okay with it. If you're not, we can try going out, despite the fact that I'm piss-scared of what _could_ happen and not the absurdity of what I'm saying. It's probably extremely unrealistic to think of it that way, but I'm still really worried."

"That's understandable, I get why you feel so afraid of it. I feel afraid of what would happen as well because then I might not be able to see you again. I love you and don't want to lose you so soon to this sort of bullshit. It's not fair to be in this situation, and I don't want you to have to deal with it."

"My problem is that I don't want to hold you back here."

"Shush you, don't worry about it. We'll figure shit out eventually, don't worry about it."

"Alright then."

They laid there in silence, and Bonnie eventually fell asleep in his partner's arms. The brunet knew how his mom got about sort of thing, so he took the initiative to unlock the poor boy's phone and texted his mom, letting her know he probably wouldn't be home for the night. Once sent, he set the phone down and allowed his newfound partner to sleep, tucking him nicely while he went upstairs.

Fredrick didn't know how upset Bonnie's mom would be, what sort of questions she'd ask him and the like, but he knew that he had to cover for him in order to make sure things went down smoothly. He wanted to make sure that they could at least get off the ground, learn to trust each other more than before. He loved his little purple-haired punk-rocker, and he wanted to make sure his life was worth living.

Eventually, Fredrick tucked in next to his newfound partner and fell asleep holding him close. Things between them were definitely going to go well, at least, that's what he felt. He was excited to be in this relationship with someone he considered extremely close to him. Even if everyone were to look down upon them, he'd still love him. There was nothing that would stop him from that. There was no telling where everything would take them in the world, but he was ready to go anywhere for it.

When he awoke later on in the night, Bonnie was still asleep under his arms. He pulled his sleeping partner closer, pressing his nose to the back of his head. Bonnie's hair smelled nice, and the brunet couldn't help but smile. It was around three or four in the morning, and Fredrick had nothing to do. He slowly closed his eyes in an attempt to go to sleep, laying there for a few moments feeling wide awake. His thoughts wandered deeper into what could happen to them if anyone they didn't want to find out knew.

If Bonnie's mom were to know, he'd probably never see him again. She'd lock him up in his room and not allow him to leave, his cute face having to be shut up in the dark forever. He didn't want to risk that. On the other hand, she could just kill him entirely, and no one would see the poor boy ever again. He wished that there was some way that they could be together without having to push things into secrecy, but alas, that was not the case. Fredrick had known for a long time he had a strong distaste for anyone who wasn't accepting or open-minded to other people and their feelings, but it had never hit him so hard.

He had been the victim of narrow-mindedness before, finding it hard to initially make friends during his time at the new school when they moved, but it hadn't been that bad. Now that they'd moved back he was facing it again, though much more severe than before. It hurt him almost personally, despite not being related to the woman, that she could've thought in such a manner.

Bonnie had recounted conversations in the past, and Fredrick had been there to personally experience some form of her words, but it never clicked with him until this moment. Bonnie brought those things up because he was gay, and his mother obviously wasn't accepting of that. He had to hide his true feelings behind falsehoods and walls so that way she could never see. Bonnie was well aware of what would happen to him, and that terrified the poor boy.

The brunet laid there in silence as Bonnie too awoke in his arms. He pulled the boy closer, whispering, "I'm so sorry for what you have to deal with." He was near tears as he said it, pressing his nose into his partner's neck.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie whispered back.

Fredrick didn't reply but merely held him as tight as he could. He didn't want to pass words of who it was, he just wanted to say that he was sorry. He knew that bringing it up directly would do nothing but torment his newfound boyfriend, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

It didn't take long before Bonnie turned onto his other side, his eyes meeting Fredrick's. He held his hands at the brunets sides and smiled, trying to assure him it would be okay. But Fredrick wasn't yet convinced. He didn't want to hide forever, he didn't want to keep everything a secret. He wanted to show off the fact that he had the best boyfriend ever.

Bonnie embraced Fredrick fully, as his point was communicated with his glances and his composure in silence. The purple-haired boy knew full well that things would eventually go sour one way or another. They'd have a vicious breakup, or someone would find out and decide to spread the word, letting it out that he was gay to all the people he didn't want to know. But in the end, he felt that all that mattered is that they made use of what they did have, keep the candle burning for as long as they could. It couldn't run forever, and each was aware of that.

They eventually fell back asleep, this time as they shared their embrace. Arms and legs tangled and intertwined chaotically yet beautifully. Bonnie's green eyes opened first, laying his gaze on his sleeping best friend, boyfriend. It was all surreal to him. He couldn't believe after all of those years of wanting and wondering, it was all here before him. It wasn't a dream, it was reality. He smiled silently to himself, the sight of the brunet's sleeping form doing more than to ease his mind about the life ahead of him.

He watched as the blue eyes of his boyfriend slowly rolled open, and a smile found its way across his face. Bonnie's face lit up as well, as he sat up quickly. Fredrick sat up alongside him slowly and smiled as he took his hand. He leaned in and pecked him on the cheek lightly, causing the younger boy to blush. The whole thing was unreal to both of them. They each had a hard time believing that everything had led up to this point.

"I hope you know that I love you more than anything," Fredrick said.

"I love you, too," Bonnie replied, "in just the same way, if not even more."

Fredrick chuckled and stood, Bonnie, following closely behind him as they went upstairs. Bonnie noticed that Spring and Alfred were asleep on each other on the couch from the previous night, having not moved an inch from where they had been. It made Bonnie smile because he enjoyed seeing things like that. He was glad to see that the two people he imagined together the most finally did get in a relationship. Things were going his way, which began to worry him a bit.

In the back of his mind, there was a slight bit of worry that it was all going to fall apart and he wouldn't have anything to fall back on. His relationship would fall apart, their relationship would fall apart, his mom would find out he was gay, and everything else that could go wrong would. But that was just a small part of him that he tucked away in the back of his mind. There was no reason to believe that anything at all would change, especially so soon. But some part of him feared the future.

He shrugged it off as nothing more than blind paranoia and went about his day as normal.


End file.
